Car-coupling



. OUSSEAU.

COUPLING.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 7, 1893.

iiouweau.

U ITED "STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

FENTON L. ROUSSEAU, OF MANCHESTER, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 508,344, dated November '7, 1893. Application filed April 10,1893; Serial No. 469.774. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FENTON L. ROUSSEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Man chester, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification. 4

My invention relates to car-couplin gs of that class termedf twin-jaw couplings, in which the jaws are pivoted in the draw-heads, and said invention has for its object to provide a car-coupling of the class referred to, novel and simple in construction, economical of manufacture, and strong, efiicient and reliable in operation; and'in which the twin jaws will automatically interlock to couple the cars thus avoiding the danger,.expense and lossof time incident in those car-couplings where it is necessary for an operative to go between the cars to couple them together by hand.

To such ends my invention consists in the novel construction and combination of partshereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the'accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1, is a broken, sectional plan view of a twin-jaw car coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is a detail perspective View, showing portions of the draw-heads in dotted lines, and Fig. 3, is a detail vertical sectional view of one of the couplings.

In the said drawings, the reference numerals 1, 1, indicate the draw-heads of adjacent cars, which are interiorly chambered horizontally from their forward ends as atv2, and are also recessed atopposite'sides as at 3, intermediate their vertical extent in order thatthe hereinafter described lockin g jaws may swing or turn laterally a sufiicient distance to engage and disengage each other. The recesses 2, are at one side arc-shaped, as at at, and at the other side are intercepted by projections 5, extending from the side of the draw-heads, which projections are inclined outwardly and rearwardly, to form pockets 5". The 'ends'of the draw-heads 1, are concaved at opposite sides as shown at l for a purpose hereinafter mentioned. f 1 I The numerals 6, 6, designate the interlockingjaws, the forward portions of which extend outside of the draw-heads and are of the same dimensionsverticallyasthe draw-heads. The rear portions of said jaws are of reduced dimensions to correspond with the chambers 2, in which they are disposed and pivotally held by pins 7 or other suitable means passing through elongated slots 6, formed therein, so that they may swing into and out of interlocking engagementwith each other.

The forward ends 8 of the jaws 6, are rounded or convex in form to correspond with the con-1 cave portions 1 of the draw-heads, whereby when said jaws 1 or either of them, are in open position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, they will automatically come together and interlock, as seen in full lines, Fig. 1, upon spond to the shape of the rear edge of the chambers 2, in which they are disposed, and at one side are cut away angularly as at 12 to register with the locking pin or key hereinafter described; and at their other sides said jaws are recessed as at 13 to form projections 15 to fit the pockets 5 formed in the sides of the draw-heads. The projections 13 engage the pockets 5 to limit the lateral swinging movement of the jaws 6, in one direction and in connectionwith the locking pins 14, bear all the strain on the coupling.

In the manner described" the tails or heels of the jaws6 are made dovetail in form.

The numerals 14, designate rectangular locking pins, or keys which are arranged obliquely from the line of draft in vertical rectangular slots 15 provided therefor in the draw-heads] The lower ends of said pins or keys are cut away to provide extensions 16 of reduced diameter, the slots 15 being corre' spondingly reduced at the under sides of the draw-heads, whereby the pins or keys are prevented from dropping down outof operative,

position. Those portions of said pins or keys above the extensions 16, engage the angular recesses or cut away portions 12 of the heels 11 of the jaws 6, and serve to lock the projections 13 in the pockets 5 when the jaws-are interlocked to couple the cars, and also,in connection with the projections 5 and 13, to bear the strain on the coupling, no strain being imparted to the pins or other devices 7 on which the jaws 6, swing or turn laterally. When the coupling jaws 6, are in open position the lower ends of the pins or keys rest upon the upper surface of the tails or: heels of said jaws, and when said jaws are automatically interlocked by the impact of the draw-headsthe reduced extensionslfi on said pins drop into the reduced portion of the vertical slots 15, thus automatically locking the dovetailed heels or tails positively from all movement. The upper end of the pins-or keys are provided with orifices to engage crank arm to be operated bythe's-ide-ofi the can-or a cord to-beoperatedfrom the topof the 'car; or said pinsmay be otherwise'suitably operated to uncouple thecars;

It will be seen that by my invention, I provide a novel car-coupling, simple in=construc tion, economical of manufacture; and strong. durableand efficient inoperatiomand wherein the strain on the coupling is borne by the draw-heads and the locking jaws iudependent-l'y of the devices which pivot the said jaws: inthe draw-heads, and wherein, also,thejaws are automatically interlookedand the locking: 1

1 my hand inpresenceof two subscribing. witmesses.-

pin is automatically dropped to retain the jaws interlocked.

' As shown in the drawings the jaws may be:

provided with pin holes and recessed intermediate their upper and lower ends in order that when necessary a pin and link may be# used in connection therewith.

onally to the line of draft, and a jaw pivoted in the draw-head at a point in front of said lateral recess or pocket and provided with a dove tail heel piece, one portion of which engages the pocket, and the other portion of which engages one side of the vertically slidinglockingpin, so thatthetdraftlstrai-n on the jaw is thrown entirely on the pin and on the wall of the recessfor pocket, substantially as described.

2. The combination w-ithazchambereddrawhead having ai-lateral recess or pockelrot' a vertically sliding locking pin angular in' cross 1 section and arranged obliquely to: the line of draft, and a jawpiwoted instherdrawdieadl by a pin and slot connection at a point in front of said lateral recessiorpocket and provided :witlt a dover-tail heel piece, one per-tion of 1 which bears against the vertically slidingzanlgular locking pin; and the other portion 1; againstthe wallof therecessor pocketso that the'entire d rafit strain is thrown onr the oblique locking pin and on the-wall of the recess or -pocket,. substantially as described In testimony whereof. Iihave hereunto set FENTON L. ROUSSEAUL Witnesses:

J. B. MCCONNELL, W. J. TUCKER. 

